From the same man who invented the George Foreman spin fryer, the fuel-tank mechanism for the F-22 Raptor jet and dozens of other awesome products comes...the bed-bug sniffer!

It takes just 15 minutes to pick up the scent of the nasties, which can hide in all areas of the house, and not just the bed as you'd expect. PopSci liked the device so much that they awarded creator Chris Goggin a 2011 Invention Award, which must make the 18 months and 500,000 he's invested in the device pay off somewhat.

Goggin actually took inspiration out of one of the grubbiest members of the average household—the dog. Mirroring the way dogs sniff out smells and scents, Goggin analysed the way his cocker spaniel uses rhythm to pull in the scent, and recognize it over time. The detector works in a similar way, by pulling in the air through seven fan-powered holes, which are then recognized by three sensors. If they pick up on the bed bug's scent (apparently they smell of the tasty cocktail of pheromones, CO2 and methane), the display alerts the user to their presence, so the poor chap can get on the blower and phone the exterminators. [PopSci]